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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24311989">This is Reality</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Another_Introvert/pseuds/Another_Introvert'>Another_Introvert</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt Peter Parker, Peter is a dumbass, Protective Tony Stark, Tag this as Starker and I will destroy you, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, but everyone loves him, but hes fine, my boi gets shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:47:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24311989</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Another_Introvert/pseuds/Another_Introvert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During a mission, Peter disobeys an order from Tony and gets seriously injured, and Tony realizes what Peter really is to him,</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; May Parker, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>This is Reality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony had definitely been reluctant to let Peter on an actual Avengers mission. It wasn’t supposed to be too dangerous. They were just supposed to keep a Mafia family inside a certain building before S.H.I.E.L.D came to arrest them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony should have figured that it would turn into a full-on firefight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gunshots echoed through the building. There had to be almost a hundred men coming to hunt him and the kid down. Now, they just had to stay alive long enough for backup to show up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony knew he would be fine. It was Peter he was worried about. Why hadn’t he made him wear the Iron Spider suit? The suit he had on now was basically glorified spandex. How could he have been that stupid?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony and Peter managed to get to a hallway with no one in it, after the kid had managed to web some of the guys to the wall. He looked like he was about to keep running, so Tony grabbed his arm and pulled him back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kid, wait.” He said in his strict </span>
  <span>father</span>
  <span> mentor voice. “This is not worth getting hurt or killed over. You’re not fighting these guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As usual, Peter protested. “What?! If you weren’t going to let me fight, then why did you even bring me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t have brought you if I knew this would happen!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you really trust me, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not about trust. It’s about staying alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you just quote the Hunger Games?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But before Tony could chastise Peter for his pop culture reference, gunshots echoed from the hallway they just ran down. Swearing loudly, Tony pointed a firm finger at Peter. “Stay. I mean it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Peter could protest, Tony flew back down the hallway where about ten guys stop pointing guns at him. Most of them didn’t even get a chance shoot before lasered them down, and the ones that did just bounced off the armor and Tony floored them with his repulsors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right as Tony finished, a familiar, albeit annoying voice rang out in his ear, </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Blew it already, Iron Man?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony bit back a groan. “Says One-Eyed Captain Fury whose team was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Blame is not something I’m interested in now, Stark. We’ve surrounded the building, and while killing is not totally out of the question, we’d preferably like everyone out alive so they can get what’s coming to them.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Roger that, Fury, Spider-man and I will-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But right as he turned down the hallway where Peter was, it was evident that there was no one there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no one in that hallway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“SHIT!” Tony yelled, hanging up on Fury “F.R.I.D.A.Y?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Spider-man located. He appears to be fighting five individuals at the moment.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goddammit, kid.” Tony muttered, racing towards Peter’s location on his HUD. Had the kid not heard him? He had specifically said to stay put, not to throw himself into a potentially lethal situation without Tony there to protect him. But the kid never listened to him anyway. The ferry incident demonstrated that, so why would this time be any-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He made it to Peter’s location right at that moment, but he almost wished he hadn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because Peter was sulked up against a wall, clutching his incredibly bloody abdomen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my God.” Tony gasped, lifting his faceplate and running over to the kid, dropping to his knees. “Peter, can you hear me?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled off Peter’s mask, and was incredibly relieved when two wide brown eyes stared right at him. “Yeah, I can hear you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, that’s good.” He said, trying to sound strong. “How did-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look around, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony had been focused so much on Peter that he’d completely ignored everything else in the room. Five men were webbed up and unconscious, either suspended from the ceiling or pinned to the floor. “Holy mother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Peter winced, pointing at one of the guys on the ceiling. “I was so busy fighting the other four guys that I didn’t get a chance to dodge his gun.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony’s face pale. “That’s a gunshot wound?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who cares? We-we have to keep fighting these-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you fucking kidding me?! There is a BULLET inside you! The only thing you’ll be fighting is sleep, do you understand? Do not. Fall. Asleep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kinda hard, Mr. Stark. Also, I hear people coming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony whirled his head back around to the doorway, covering as much of Peter’s body as possible and powering up his repulsors, daring whoever was coming to try and hurt </span>
  <span>his</span>
  <span> the kid more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But instead of more Mafia sons of bitches, the familiar uniform of S.H.I.E.L.D agents came into view. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stand down, Stark.” said a woman with long black hair falling down her shoulder. “Building’s secure. We got everyone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” Tony said, powering down his repulsors and turning back to the wounded boy. “Come on, kid, let’s-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Again, Peter hadn’t listened. Because his head was hanging low, and his eyes were closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no,” Tony grabbed Peter’s shoulders and shook him hard. “Wake up, kid! WAKE UP!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The S.H.I.E.L.D agent bent down next to him. “There are ambulances waiting outside. We can take him-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No hospitals.” Tony said with a bite in his voice. “Take him straight to the Avengers compound. His biology is different, and his identity can’t get out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Understood.” She nodded to another agent, who picked Peter up bridal style and rushed him out of the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony could only imagine the look on his face at that moment. It was probably just like when he’d watched Pepper fall into the fiery depths below her, when he was sure she was gone. Only this time, that face may become permanent. The kid had lost a lot of blood already. For all he knew, when the guy was carrying him away, he’d-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey. Are you all right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony took a deep breath as the agent put a hand on his shoulder. “I know how you feel. I have two kids at home. My girl is eighteen and is a complete chaos magnet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has she ever been shot before?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, but she has put herself in danger. Sadly, she wants to be like me. I want her to be better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That last sentence replayed in Tony’s mind. He’d said basically the same thing to Peter after the ferry incident. Like a parent. Was he a parent now? It sure felt like it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony sighed, standing up. “Thought all you agents were stone-cold loners.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman shook her head. “Absolutely not. Believe it or not, we all have hearts, and most of us have families.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Misjudgement on my part, Mrs…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ryu. Luci Ryu.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony made a mental note to put in a good word about Luci Ryu to Fury as he rushed out of the building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Five hours later, after a surgery and a blood transfusion, Peter was stable, sleeping soundly in a hospital bed in the medbay. Tony had called May when he confirmed Peter would make it, but a massive car accident on the freeway had left her gridlocked, so it was going to take awhile for her to get here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, Tony remained at Peter’s side, so the kid would be met with a familiar face when he woke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bullet had narrowly missed any vital organs, thank God, but it had taken Helen Cho awhile to find and remove the bullet without causing any more bleeding. The kid had almost flatlined twice. Twice, Tony had almost lost his kid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dammit, that Luci woman had made him admit that he saw Peter as his kid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was really glad he didn’t say that out loud, because Peter’s eyes finally started to flutter open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony smiled. “Hey, kid. You feeling okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter looked around in a haze at his surroundings. “Why am I here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Some of the underlying anger Tony had towards Peter began to seep through. “Oh, you disobeyed a direct order and went to go fight the Mafia without me. You know, like you do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They could’ve hurt someone, Mr. Stark.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They did! They hurt you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’m fine now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tony sighed, moving to sit on the edge of Peter’s bed. “Kid, listen close. I know you’ve never been hurt like this before, and you think that because you’re Spider-man, you’re immune to everything. But you’re not. This is reality, and reality was a bitch enough to not make you bulletproof.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut it. The adult is talking. You almost died. You lost so much blood, kid. So much. You know what it would do to May if you died?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And what it would do to me?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, if you won’t be safe for your own sake, be safe for her sake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And mine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Peter bit his lip and nodded. “Okay, okay. Sorry. I should have figured my first Avengers mission would be a bust.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We got the guys, and you got out alive. That’s what matters.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to take my suit?”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tempting, but no. Well, I’ll have to make some repairs to it, so no Spider-manning for a few days, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fiiiiiiine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His kid’s words were slurred as he drifted back to sleep, and Tony brushed some of his brown curls off his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sleep tight, kiddo.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hunger Games reference in honor of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Please read it</p><p>Random thing: Luci Ryu is an orginal character in a book I hope to publish some day, but she is completely out of character here. Just thought I'd sprinkle her in, tho</p><p>Stay safe, friends!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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